Adjustable book holder



April 1964 c. JOHNSON ETAL 3, ,573

ADJUSTABLE BOOK HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 28, 1962 M m w T R 3 m K @m H o @C E C z 1 T M 5 E L L April 1964 L. c. JOHNSON ETAL 3,128,573

ADJUSTABLE BQOK HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 28, 1962 w I5 |||b INVEN Les-r22 C. J'oHNsoN MV'QWI TORS LESTER E. Ccom ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,128,573 ADJUSTABLE BOOK HOLDER Lester C. Johnson, 430 Parkfair Drive, Apt. 35, Sacramento 25, Calif., and Lester E. Cook, 3500 Mignon St, Sacramento 26, Calif.

Filed Sept. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 226,801 9 Claims. (Cl. 45-80) This invention relates to an adjustable book holder, and in particular to a holder, adjustable in a mount as to angularlity and height, for the convenience of readers in a supine position, and bed-ridden patients in particular. Whether arising from considerations of convenience, or of necessity, the need for such a device is appreciable, and although many remedial proposals have been advanced heretofore, these have failed to find general acceptance, as attested by the fact that bed patients, if they read at all, either hold the book in hand, or improvise a support from conventional items available, such as dining trays, and the like.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved book support, adapted for readers in a supine position. Another and related object is to provide a book support which minimizes the demands for manual attention by the reader, without sacrifice to ease and comfort in the reading process.

More particularly, it is an object to provide a holder adapted to hold a book in an open position, in association with a mount in an arrangement permitting both angular and height adjustment of the holder.

It is also among the objects to provide a book holder as aforesaid, which is simple in structure, few in parts, easy of manufacture, assembly and maintenance, low in cost, and facile and reliable in operation.

These and other ends, which will be apparent, are attained by the present invention, a preferred form of which is described in the following specification, as illustrated in the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the book holder, and mount, in use by a bed-ridden patient.

FIGURE 2 is a bracketed view, in perspective, showing the several parts of the device in exploded arrangement.

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational 'view of the device.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view, taken on the plane of the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3, and showing, in dash lines, the book holding element in an adjusted position of swing.

FIGURE 5 is a segmental view similar to FIGURE 4, showing the upper part of the device, and with the book holder in a further, adjusted position of swing.

FIGURE 6 is a horizontal, sectional view through the device, taken on the plane of the line 66 of FIG- URE 5.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, there is shown a book-holder plate, indicated generally by the numeral 10, supported by a pair of end standards 12, of identical construction, but arranged in the assembly in mirror-image relationship. Since the standards are similar, the same reference numerals will apply in one as in the other. Thus, each comprises an A frame, with a bottom beam, or chord 14, from the ends of which a pair of identical side rails 16 converge to an upper apex, the latter being rounded, inside and outside by virtue of laterally hooked portions 18, on the upper ends of sides 16, meeting in a vertical line 20.

The book-holding plate or slab 10 is trunnion mounted in elongate, vertical slots 22, in rails 24, having beveled faces 26 at their upper ends, secured, as by gluing, to the curvate, apex portion of the standards, and with their lower ends secured to, and supported on, shelves 3,128,573 Patented Apr. 14, 1964 ice 28, secured to, and spanning the side rails 16 of the standard, somewhat above the mid height thereof, and connected by a tie rod, or dowel 29 ('FIG. 2.), received in bores 30 in shelves 28, and secured by nails '31. This arrangement provides for a slant in standards, with upward convergence, of the two, and with the slot-ted rails 24 vertical in final assembly, so that the device not only provides suitable clearance at the base, for straddling the body of the reader, while maintaining compactness of structure in the book-holding, upper portion, but is also possessed of over-all rigidity.

*For its trunnion mounting, the book-holding plate 10 carries, at opposite ends, and medially of its width, on

one face, a pair of blocks 3-2, bored to receive bolts 33,

which engage in slots 22, and are secured by wing nuts 34, with washers 36, in any given working position of the plate 10. 'For adjusting the working position, the wing nuts are loosened, after which the trunnion bolts 33 may be moved along slot 22, and/or the inclination of plate 10 may be varied by swinging about bolts 33.

Separate holders for the book covers are provided in addition to pageholders, so that the book, as a whole, is supported while the pages are being turned, which is of importance where the book is oriented at an angle to the horizontal, especially-when vertical, or nearly so. Thus, the plate or board 10 is provided, near its lower corners, with bowed, spring clips 38, screwed or nailed and with inturned, terminal ends 44, received in parallel grooves 46 in board 10, for sliding movement of adjustment therealong. After the book has been laid in place on board 10, the strap clips 40 are moved inwardly to engage the two covers, and the straps will preferably have a loose fit and a degree of resiliency, so as to accommodate covers of different thickness. In the holding action, the natural tendency of the covers to close will also be a contributing factor. Once mounted, straps 4a are retained on plate 10 by the spring clips 38.

The device has utility for any reader, but especially in a case such as illustrated in the drawings, wherein a bed-ridden patient is confined to a fully reclining, supine position, with only the hands available for use, since it is possible for him to mount the book in place, and adjust the holding plate to the most favorable angle, and set the spring clips on the pages. Thereafter, in the progress of the reading it is only necessary to slip a page from one spring clip, and insert it behind the other. This operation presents little more difliculty than that involved in turning the pages in ordinary reading, and in some respects is less difficult, because the hands are relieved of the burden of supporting the weight of the book.

While a certain, preferred embodiment has been shown and described, various modifications will be apparent, in the light of this disclosure, and the invention should not, therefore, be deemed as limited, except insofar as shall appear from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A book holder comprising a pair of end standards, of generally triangular outline, a shelf carried by each standard, medially of its height, a member secured to each standard at its upper end, and to said shelf in spaced relation to the standard, and disposed at an angle therewith, each said member having an elongate slot, a tie rod connecting said blocks, in a position with said members mutually parallel, and said standards converging up- Wardly, a book-holding plate having a pair of blocks extending from one face, near opposite ends of the plate, pivot bolts carried by said latter blocks, and adapted to be received in the slots in the respective, said members, a wing nut to secure each bolt in position in its receiving slot, a pair of spring clips carried by said plate in corne-r areas, and a pair of straps having hooked ends received over edges of said plate, said plate having parallel grooves in said one face, and said hooked ends having bent, terminal edges received in said grooves, said straps located inwardly of said clips, and retained on said plate thereby.

2. A book holder comprising a pair of end standards of generally triangular outline, a shelf carried by each standard, a member secured to each standard, and to said shelf, and disposed at an angle to said standard, each of said members having an elongated slot, a tie rod connecting said blocks, in a position with said members mntually parallel, a book-holding plate having a pair of blocks extending from one face, trunnions carried by said latter blocks, and adapted to be received in the slots in the respective, said members, means to secure each trunnion in position in its receiving slot, a pair of spring clips carried by said plate in corner areas, and a pair of straps having hooked ends received over edges of said plate, said plate having parallel grooves in said one face, and said hooked ends having bent, terminal edges received in said grooves, said straps located inwardly of said clips, and retained on said plate thereby.

3. A book holder comprising a pair of end standards, of generally triangular outline, a shelf carried by each standard, a member secured to each standard, and to said shelf, and disposed at an angle to said standard, each said member having an elongate slot, a tie rod connecting said blocks, in a position with said members mutually parallel, a book-holding plate having a pair of blocks extending from one face, trunnions carried by said latter blocks, and adapted to be received in the slots in the respective, said members, means to secure each trunnion in position in its receiving slot, a pair of spring clips carried by said plate in corner areas, and a pair of straps having hooked ends received over edges of said plate, said straps located inwardly of said clips, and retained on said plate thereby.

'4. A book holder comprising a pair of end standards, of generally triangular outline, a shelf carried by each standard, a member secured to each standard, and to said shelf, and disposed at an angle to said standard, each said member having an elongate slot, a tie rod connecting said blocks, in a position with said members mutually parallel, a book-holding plate having a pair of blocks extending from one face, trunnions carried by said latter blocks, and adapted to be received in the slots in the respective, said members, means to secure each trunnion in position in its receiving slot, a pair of spring clips carried by said plate in corner areas, and a pair of straps having hooked ends received over edges of said plate.

5. A book holder comprising a pair of end standards, a pair of trunnion mounts having elongated slots carried by said standards and disposed at an angle thereto, means permanently connecting said standards, With said mounts in parallelism, a book-holding plate having trunnions received in said slots, a pair of laterally slidable retainers for the covers of a book, carried by said plate, and a pair of page clips carried by said plate, and located in retaining relationship to said retainers.

6. A book holder comprising a pair of end standards, a pair of trunnion mounts having elongated slots carried by said standards and disposed at an angle thereto, means permanently connecting said standards, with said mounts in parallelism, a book-holding plate having trunnions received in said slots, a pair of laterally slidable retainers for the covers of a book, carried by said plate, and a pair of page clips carried by said plate.

7. A book holder comprising a pair of end standards, a pair of trunnion mounts having elongated slots carried by said standards and disposed at an angle thereto, means permanently connecting said standards, With said mounts in parallelism, a book-holding plate having trunnions received in said slots, and separate means on said plate for holding down the covers of a book, and the pages of a book.

8. A book holder comprising a pair of end standards, a pair of trunnion mounts having elongated slots carried by said standards and disposed at an angle thereto, means permanently connecting said standards, with said mounts in parallelism, a book-holding plate having trunnions received in said slots, and holding clips carried by said plate.

9. A book holder comprising a pair of end standards, a pair of trunnion mounts having elongated slots carried by said standards and dispose-d at an angle thereto, means permanently connecting said standards, With said mounts in parallelism, and :a book-holding plate having trunnions received in said slots.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,436,481 Cook Nov. 21, 1922 1,770,955 Storm July 22, 1930 2,156,225 OMeara July 25, 1930 2,704,235 Bion Mar. 15, 1955 

1. A BOOK HOLDER COMPRISING A PAIR OF END STANDARDS, OF GENERALLY TRIANGULAR OUTLINE, A SHELF CARRIED BY EACH STANDARD, MEDIALLY OF ITS HEIGHT, A MEMBER SECURED TO EACH STANDARD AT ITS UPPER END, AND TO SAID SHELF IN SPACED RELATION TO THE STANDARD, AND DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE THEREWITH, EACH SAID MEMBER HAVING AN ELONGATE SLOT, A TIE ROD CONNECTING SAID BLOCKS, IN A POSITION WITH SAID MEMBERS MUTUALLY PARALLEL, AND SAID STANDARDS CONVERGING UPWARDLY, A BOOK-HOLDING PLATE HAVING A PAIR OF BLOCKS EXTENDING FROM ONE FACE, NEAR OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE PLATE, PIVOT BOLTS CARRIED BY SAID LATTER BLOCKS, AND ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED IN THE SLOTS IN THE RESPECTIVE, SAID MEMBERS, A WING NUT TO SECURE EACH BOLT IN POSITION IN ITS RECEIVING SLOT, A PAIR OF SPRING CLIPS CARRIED BY SAID PLATE IN CORNER AREAS, AND A PAIR OF STRAPS HAVING HOOKED ENDS RECEIVED OVER EDGES OF SAID PLATE, SAID PLATE HAVING PARALLEL GROOVES IN SAID ONE FACE, AND SAID HOOKED ENDS HAVING BENT, TERMINAL EDGES RECEIVED IN SAID GROOVES, SAID STRAPS 